BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Motley Crue is calling it quits. But as you might expect, the band is going out with a big bang.

During a Tuesday press conference in Los Angeles, singer Vince Neil, drummer Tommy Lee, bassist Nikki Sixx and guitarist Mick Mars announced "The Final Tour" and signed an agreement that says they'll leave the road for good when the tour is finished.

"We've been there; we've done that. We love each other like brothers," Mars said. "It's time for us to, like, throw the towel in."

However, the towel-throwing could last for two years or longer, the band said. As the first step, Motley Crue confirmed a round of splashy shows -- about 70 dates from early July through mid-November -- with opening act Alice Cooper.

Alice Cooper will open for Motley Crue on "The Final Tour." In a press release, Cooper called the pairing "a match made in ... Armageddon?" (Photo courtesy of 10th Street Entertainment / Eleven Seven Music)

VIP packages are $239-$3,999, with perks that include Motley merchandise, seats close to the stage, a meet-and-greet, a backstage tour, a photo session, autographed items and an electric guitar.

"We don't want to be one of those bands that maybe have one guy left in it, or somebody's brother," Neil said. "We want to go out with the four founding members of Motley Crue and go out on top, and leave a legacy of a band called Motley Crue."

"We don't want to hobble off into the sunset," Sixx agreed.

The musicians emphasized that "The Final Tour" is their last hurrah, unlike other players who launch farewell tours, reunite and tour again. Sixx called that "ripping off the fans," and said Motley was signing a contract to prove this band means business.

To pound home the point, the Crue members appeared on a stage with tombstones bearing their names. They pulled up to the press conference in a long black hearse, and were greeted by a brass band and scantily clad women twirling parasols, creating an atmosphere similar to a second line in New Orleans.

Motley Crue, a hard rock outfit formed in 1981, has been a longtime favorite in the Birmingham area. In recent years, the band has performed at Oak Mountain Amphitheatre or the BJCC Arena downtown, drawing thousands of avid fans.

The band made its last appearance at Oak Mountain in 2012, co-headlining with KISS. The setlist included greatest hits such as "Dr. Feelgood," "Girls, Girls, Girls," "Shout at the Devil" and "Kickstart My Heart," along with tunes from Motley's 2008 studio album, "Saints of Los Angeles."

Motley Crue also has signed off on a film version of the band's 2001 memoir, "The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band" -- directed by Jeff Tremaine, set for release in 2015 -- and a country tribute album, due this summer. Bands for the latter project will include Florida Georgia Line and Rascal Flatts.